'Star Wars': There's A Very Good Reason Rey's Parentage Is Still Sparking Fan Theories

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Actor Mark Hamill and actress Daisy Ridley arrive at the premiere of film 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' at Shanghai Disney Resort on December 20, 2017 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by VCG/VCG via Getty Images)

Rian Johnson intentionally set out to shatter our expectations of the Star Wars franchise with The Last Jedi, and while most of his decisions ignited controversy, one notable decision sparked an equal amount of praise and fury.

For a long time, the mystery of Rey’s parenthood kept fans theorizing, with Luke Skywalker often cited as the most likely biological connection. It would make sense, after all, for a character modelled after Luke to undergo a similar “I am your father” reveal, and would explain her natural affinity for the Force.

So it came as quite a shock when Kylo Ren coldly revealed to Rey that she didn’t inherit the Skywalker destiny - she was a nobody, abandoned by the galactic equivalent of trailer trash. While many, including myself, welcomed the new “democratization” of the Force, some are finding it difficult to accept the underwhelming answer, and the break from storytelling tradition.

This YouTube video by Film Threat claims to have conjured the “real” answer to Rey’s parentage, claiming that Rey must really be descended from Han Solo and his ex-lover Qi’ra, who we saw in Solo. The video goes on to state that Han must have torn apart his family to reunite with Qi’ra, sparking Kylo’s hatred of him, and explaining why Leia went to hug Rey instead of Chewbacca, after the two witnessed Han’s death.

Interestingly, the video states that this theory “fixes everything,” as though the current storyline is broken. But there’s no real weight behind this theory, and for it to be true, would require an awkward retcon of Kylo’s reveal, and a random return of Emilia Clarke, aged with makeup. And after Solo bombed, it’s doubtful we’ll ever see her character again.

But you never know - J.J. Abrams seems like much more of a traditionalistic when it comes to Star Wars, and if there was more of a consistency of writer/directors across the sequel trilogy, I think Rey’s reveal would have turned out very differently. The Force Awakens did seem to be building Rey up to be “special,” and in the galaxy far far away, being Force-sensitive usually means you’ve got a bit of Skywalker blood in you.

But it’s understandable why so many Star Wars fans are still finding the reveal almost impossible to accept as canonical. The idea of the Force manifesting itself in a humble, random individual is rather reassuring, killing the whole hereditary hierarchy, but the twist also created a bit of a problem with Rey. Because she is no longer part of this epic family drama, there’s a sudden sense of distance; Rey is not a long-lost relative, but a random outsider, and the story naturally shifts toward Kylo Ren.

This is a story about the Skywalker clan, after all, and always has been, from Anakin’s immaculate conception in The Phantom Menace to … whatever Kylo Ren does in Episode IX. Rey is technically the protagonist of this new trilogy, but flawed, furious Kylo Ren ended up being not only the more interesting character, but the last Skywalker. Whatever his fate ends up being will be the closing chapter of the Skywalker story, and thus the “real” ending of the saga.

It’s rather strange, because Disney clearly wanted to expand their target demographic with the sequel trilogy, much to the ire of some of the fanbase, but really, they ended up catering to white guys again, seemingly unintentionally.

Amusingly, the fan base can’t see it - they’re still mad over those “The Force is Female” t-shirts.

Born and educated in Edinburgh, Scotland, I've been traveling through Europe and writing for the last ten years -- blogging, screenwriting and composing literary fiction. Eventually I settled in Toronto, Canada, where I'm currently involved in the independent film scene. I'm...